Insulated railroad-rail joint.



m m 3 2 r p A d e n e M P M m J L .A R F. M D won L AA R D E T A L U S N 8 U 7 6 0 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

(Application filed Dec. 7, 1900.)

[No Model.)

IS TORNEY' No. 672,608. Patented Apr. 23, l90i,

" a. A. WEBER.

INSULATED RAILROAD RAIL JOINT.

(Application filed Dec. 7, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-$heet 2.

INVENTOR HIS ATTORNEY YHE cams PETERS 60.. PHOTD-LITMCL. wnsnma'mu. D. c.

UNITED I. STATES GEORGE A. WEBER, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSTGNOR TO THE WEBER RAILWAY JOINT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

INSULATED RAILROAD-RAIL JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 672,608, dated April 23, 1901.

Application filed December '7, 1900. Serial No. 39,005. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: ranged on opposite sides of the end portions Be it known that I, GEORGE A. WEBER, of of the rail-sections. It will be seen that each Stamford, in the county of Fairfield and State chair has a base I), an upright b and an anof Connecticut, have invented a new and usegle-brace 19 all the parts being made in one ful Improvement in Insulated Railroad-Rail integral structure of iron or steel, preferably Joints, of which the following is a specificathe latter. Upon the bases 1) of therailtion. chairs a strip of insulating material Cas, The present invention relates to joints beforinstance,vegetable tiberis placed. Upon tween adjacent sections of insulated railroadthis strip of insulating material C rest the 10 rails, and the object is to secure a firm joint bases of the rail-sections A A Preferably with thorough insulation between the conthe side edges of the strip of insulating manected rail-sections. terial C are turned upwardly to prevent any I will describe a joint embodying my impossibility of contact between the bases of provement and then point out the novel feathe rail-sections and the rail-chairs. Inter- I 5 tures in the claims. mediate of the webs of the rail-sections and In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is the uprights b of the rail-chairs blocks D a side elevation of two adjacent rail-sections D of packing material, consisting, preferand the parts used therewith to form an inably, of wood, are arranged, they preferably sulated joint between them. Fig. 2 is a verhaving been so shaped as to conform to the 20 tical transverse section taken at the plane of surfaces with which they are to contact. the dotted line' 2 2, Fig. 1, but on a larger Bolts E, of which there may be any suitable scale. Fig. 3 is aperspective view of certain number, pass through the uprights of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig.4is aperspective chair-rails B E the blocks D D and the view of another part shown in Fig. 2. Fig. rail-sections A A Intermediate of the cir- 2 5 5 is a vertical transverse section,npon a larger cumferences of the bolts and the holes formed 7 5 scale than Fig. 2, of the web of a rail-section, for their reception through the uprights of together with the base and head of the railthe chair-rails are bushings FFfiofinsulating section, aportion of the bolt, and certain dematerial. Immediately outside of the up vices intermediate of the bolt and web of the rights of the chair-rails are washers G.G of

30 rail-section. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are perspective insulating material. Preferably these bushviews of parts shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 9 is a ings and washers will be made of vegetable side elevation of two adjacent service-rail fiber. Outside the washers G G2 are metal sections and a guard-rail and parts forming washers H II to prevent the chafing of the an insulated joint between sections of the insulating-washersbythe bolts. Each of the 35 service-rail. Fig. 10 is a vertical transverse bolts E preferably has a polygonal head 6, section taken at the plane of the dotted line capable of being grasped with a wrench, and

10 10, Fig. 9. a polygonal nut 6 which also may be grasped Similar letters of reference designate correby a wrench. It must be understood that the sponding parts in all the figures. rail-chairs B E the insulating material C,

40 I will first explain my invention in connecand the blocks of wood D' D are long enough tion with Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4. A A desigto extend across the ends of the adjacent railnate two adjacent rail-sections which are to sections A A for the purpose of forming a be joined to form a portion of track and so joint between them. Preferably the strip 0, as to insulate the one from the other. Beof insulating material, will be made some- 45 tween their ends insulating material A is inwhatlonger than the chairs, so that by slackterposed. Preferably it will be made of vulening the bolts and loosening the various canized fiber, and as here shown consists of parts it may be removed and another similar two pieces of that material laid face to face strip may be inserted in its place. Its proand bearing against the ends of the raiLseclongation beyond the rail-chairs will prefer- 50 tion. B B designate two rail chairs arably be perforated, so thatit may be engaged 10o by some suitable instrument to" facilitate its withdrawal.

In Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 I have shown a bushing I, which may be of any suitable soft nietalas, for instance, brass. Ihave shown it as'.c'y1indrica1 in shape,with two' outwardlyprojecting circumferential ribs 2' near the ends. Outside this bushing I is a bushing'l of insulating material, preferably vegetable fiber. It is of cylindrical form, and the ribs 1' of the bushing I engage with it sufficiently to prevent any independent longitudinal movement of either. Outside the bushing I is a bushing or sleeve 1 also of cylindrical form and made of metal, preferably soft steel. It has at one end a flange 2', which will preferably be formed in the course" of manufacture, and at the other end a flange '5 which is intended to be turned up with a hammer orother suitable tool at the time of forming a joint. To facilitate the turning up of this flange 0?, a number .of slots or notches are formed in the'end of the cylindrical body of this bushing 1 If each of the bolts E has combinedwith it the bushings I, I and'I as described, the insulating bushings and washers F F G Gr and the metal washers H H may be omitted.

Obviously this joint is'exceedingly strong and firm. A rail-section united by means of it to another rail-section will be secured against any relative displacement under heavyweight. The two uprights" or guards of the rail-sections when secured in place in the joint in eflect form constituent parts of a bridge at the adjacent ends of the rail-sections. The two rail-chairs effectively oppose any tendency to oscillation and verymuch more effectively oppose it thancould possibly be done with a single rail-chair, even if the parts were indefinitely prolonged, because in the present joint both sides of the railjoint are connected to the base of the joint. Moreover, thet'ensile strength of the joint is thesame on both sides of the joint, and this is of great importance to prevent breakage on one side, for this would be much more liable to occur if the jointon one'sideconsisted solely of a block of wood F F Expansion and contraction will be the same on both sides of'the joint, and this will prevent injury such as is frequently occasioned upon one of the blocks of packing material wherebut a single chair is used. It will be obvious that the tensile strength of the rail-joint as'a whole is also much augmented. As both sides of the two rail-sections to'be'unitedare combined with similar parts, the alinement of therailsections is likely to be better than it would be otherwise. i

In Figs. 9 and- 10 in addition to the service-rail comprising sections A A there is a guard-rail J. Here packing material, preferably consisting of a block of wood D, is arranged intermediate of the service-rail secevaeos tions A A and the guard-rai'l'J. One of the rail=chairs has been shown as havi ng'a longer base than the other, so that the opposite edges of the two bases will be substantially under the guard-rail; but this is not essential. The block of packing m'ateri'alD is wide enough to keep the bases of the service-rail sections 'separ'ate'from the base of the guard-rail. If the bushings F F and washers G G: and H H are to be dispensed with, bushings will have to be used in the guard-rail, as well as .in the service-rail; otherwise the combination of parts is substantially the same as already described.

WhatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv 1. An insulated ra-il-joint comprising two opposite rail-chairs, ha'vingtheir bases in the same plane, and each having an upright and serving to support adjacent ends of two railsections forming parts of a track,insulating material intermediate of thebases of the railsections and the bases of the chairs, blocks of ipackingmaterial intermediate of'the rail-secftions and the uprights of the chairs, bolts passing through the uprights of the" chairs and the webs of the rail sectionman'd crossing the packing material, and washers' for inlsulating the bolts.

opposite rail-chairs each having aba'se and an upright extcndingdire'ctly upward from the base, and having a union with the base where it risesthe'refrom, andsaid chairs servingto support"- adjacent ends of two rail-sections forming part of a track, insulating material intermediate of the bases of the railsections and the bases-of the chairs, blocksof packing materialintermediate of the rail sections and the uprights of the rail-chairs, bolts passing through the uprights of the railchairs, and the webs of the rail sections, and crossing the packing material, and washers for insulating the bolts.

3. An insulated rail joint comprising two opposite rail-chairs, eachha'ving bases'in the same plane, and'each having an upright and serving to support adjacent ends of two railsections forming part of a track, insulating material intermediate of the bases of the railsections and-the bases of the chairs, blocks of packing material intermediate of the rail-sec tions and the uprights of the chairs, bolts passing through the uprights'of the chairs, and the webs of the rail-sections, and crossing the packing materiahand insulating material intermediatethe webs of the rail-sec= tions and the bolts.

4:. An insulated rail-joint comprising two opposite rail-chairs each having a base and an upright for, supporting adjacent ends of two service-rail sections, and a guard-rail, insulating material intermediate of the bases of the rail-sections and the'bases of the chairs, blocks of packing material intermediate of 2. An" insulated rail-joint comprising two the rail-sections and the uprights of the raiiname to this specification in the presence of chairs and intermediate the service-rail sectwo subscribing witnesses. tions and the guard-rail, bolts passing through the uprights of the rail-chairs, the webs of GEORGE WEBER 5 the rail-sections and crossing the packing ma- Witnesses:

terial, and. washers for insulating the bolts. GEO. E. CRUSE,

In testimony whereof I have signed my K. G. LE ARD. 

